Kiev, Ukraine -- Nearly a week after Ukraine's parliamentary election, officials were still counting votes in eight key districts across the country Friday, in what the opposition called a clear example of widespread vote-rigging by the ruling party.

The disorderly count has touched off Ukraine's penchant for violent political passions. As the count dragged on at one election commission in the capital, fistfights broke out, tear gas was fired and an election official broke down in sobs. At another election commission in Kiev, police pushed the opposition candidate when he tried to approach a table where ballots were located, and he broke a rib and finger when he fell.

Opposition leaders are threatening to take to the streets if the alleged vote-rigging isn't stopped - a potentially serious move in a country where massive demonstrations in 2004 forced the rerun of a fraud-ridden presidential election.

Western observers have denounced Sunday's election as unfair. They said the imprisonment of President Viktor Yanukovych's archfoe, Yulia Tymoshenko, and non-transparent vote tallying were a step back from democracy.

With counting completed for most of parliament's 450 seats, Yanukovych's party and its allies appeared sure to have enough seats for a majority. But the opposition, intent on denying Yanukovych the two-thirds majority needed to change the Constitution, is fighting for every seat.

The opposition claims that its candidate in Kiev's district commission No. 223 defeated the pro-government candidate, but that election officials are trying to inflate the winner's tally and undercount opposition votes.

The stakes are high for the government-aligned candidate Viktor Pylypyshyn, 51, a former Kiev district head who faces charges of abuse of office that prosecutors say cost the city nearly $2 million. Fearing imprisonment, Pylypyshyn is desperate to get the immunity granted to Ukrainian lawmakers.

Central Election Commission officials said they hope to tally all votes by Saturday night, but one commission member suggested the contested individual races may have to be decided with a new vote.